Fostering Equitable Transit-Oriented Development via Multi-Sectoral Community Collaborations: Lessons from and for Maryland's Purple Line Corridor Coalition

Abstract

The State of Maryland, through a public-private partnership, is building a new light rail line called the Purple Line. This project will greatly increase transit accessibility and increase land values in neighborhoods where many minority, low-income residents and small business owners may be vulnerable to displacement. The Purple Line Corridor Coalition (PLCC) was established in 2013 to balance equitable transit-oriented development against potential for displacement. In this paper, we analyze the structure, activities, and performance of the PLCC. Through a qualitative analysis lens based on collective impact theory, community coalition theory, collective impact regionalism, and community-based action research, we discuss whether and how it is possible for a multi-sectoral community coalition to influence equitable development outcomes before a planned transit line is operational. These findings, we suggest, offer useful lessons for others trying to promote equitable transit oriented development, or other forms of community development, though multi-sectoral community coalitions.